Card feeding and analyzing device



'INVENTOR' Sept 1, 1935- G. F. DALY CARD FEEDING AND ANALYZNG DEVICE Original Filed Nov. 2l, 1932 ...um .EE

Patented Sept. I, 18936 UNITED STATES* cam FEEDING AND ANALYzmG DEVICE George F. Daly, West Orange, N. Ji, assignor to International Business Machines Corporation,A New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Original application l.November 21, 1932, Serial Divided and this application June as, 1935, semi No. 28,850

s claims. (ci. 20o-46) The present application constitutes a division .of my copending application Serial No. 643,663, filed November 21, 1932. i

The invention relates to an improved card feeding and analyzing mechanism for electric accounting machines.`

The principal object of the invention resides in the provision of a combined contact and conveyor roll for advancing successive record cards to an analyzing brush station at which circuits are completed through perforations in the cards. 'i'he arrangement is such that a given point on the. periphery of the contact roll arrives at the brush station a slight increment earlier for each succeeding card cycle. This introduces a socalled creep in that the relationship between the contact roll and the cards it advances varies for each card so that the current through a given index point position does not pass through the same point of the contact roll for successive cards.

In this mannenan improved sensing action is secured and-the contact roll is prevented from becoming pitted by the action of the analyzing brushes.

The object of the invention is realized by providing a compound gear connection for the contact roll or cylinder of such proportions that the peripheral velocity of the roll is equal to the rate of motion at which the card is `required to 'pass the analyzing station and the roll at the same time .is caused to make slightly more than a coinpleterevolution for each card feeding cycle of the machine.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be obvious from the following particular description of one form of mechanism embodying the invention or from an inspection of the accompanying drawing; and the invention also constitutes certain new and useful features of construction and combination of parts `hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a diagrammatic view of the card feeding mechanism of the machine and the drive therefor.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken through the card handling and reading section oi' the machine.

Fig. 3 is a sectional dstailview of certain of the gearing parts which are used for driving the card transfer and contact roll, and for providing a creeping action for the pick up of cards. The gearing which is shown in section in this vview is shown in isometric relation in Fig. 1.

Complete details of an accounting machine with which the present improved card-feedingand analyzing mechanism may be used, may be 1 found in United States Patent No. 1,944,665.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, shaft 56 is the main driving shaft and is driven' in any suitable 5 manner. Such shaft is provided with agear 58 which, through idler gear 68, drives a gear 18 which in turn, through its shaft, drives a. gear 1I, which gear in turn drives a gear 12. Gear 12 in turn drives a gear 13 revolubly mounted l0 on shaft 15. Gear 13 has xedto it one element 16 of a one revolution clutch, the complemental part of which comprises a pawl 11 carried by an arm 18 which is fixed to shaft 15.

The one revolution clutch is of. the electro- 15 magnetic type usedin tabulating machines and with this one revolution clutch engaged by the energizationv of its clutch magnet 384, shaft 15 will rotate in unison with the gear 13, and with the one revolution clutch disengaged, 13 will con- 20 tinue its rotation and shaft 15 will remain stationary. f

Gear 13 also drives an intermediate gear 18 which is fixed to gear 80, which drives'a train of gears 8I which in turn drive the card feed 25 rolls 82 of the machine. Such card feed rolls 82 are constantly rotating feed rolls, the same rotating at all times when gear 13 is rotating and when the main counter drive shaft (not shown) is rotated. Also in train with the gear 19 is a gear 30 83 which drives a drag roll shaft 84 having fixedA thereon a pair of drag rolls 85.

Fixed to shaft 15 is a gear 88 (see also Fig. 3) which in turn drives a gear 88h mounted on the sleeve 88e. which in turn drives a gear 88d. Gear 35 88d in turn drives a gear 89- Which is fixed to the sleeve 89a revolubly mounted on shaft 15 but fixed to the card transfer and contact roll or cylinder 81. By referring to Fig. .3 it will be noted that gears 88 and 88 have a slightly different diam- 40 .eter and gears 88h and 88d also have a slightly different diameter. This slight difference in diameter providesI for the slight creeping advance of card transfer and contact cylinder 81, .as the card handling operations ensue and serves to .45 prevent sensing occurring at the same spot or spots on the cylinder on successive card cycles.

Gear 86 is also fast to shaft 15 and drives a gear 90, which gear vin turn drives an idler gear 8l, drivirg a gear 92 xed to cam contact shaft 50 83. Shaft 93 has secured upon it a number of cams for actuating a group of cam contact de--v vices of the machine.

Such cams are so driven that they make one revolution per card feed cycle in contradistinc- Card picker drive Shaft 15 has secured to it a box cam 91 with which a. follower 98 cooperates. The follower rocks a rock shaft- |02 carrying a gear sector |03, which is in engagement with a picker block |04. Upon engagement of the one-revolution card feed clutch the picker is called into action to withdraw a single card from the magazine |05 (Fig. 2) and advance this card into the bite of rolls 82. These rolls in turn forward the card to the card transfer and contact roll 81. Intermediate the rolls 82 and the transfer cylinder 81 there is provided an'advance or X brush sensing position. One X brush is shown at |06 and cooperateswith the combined contact and guide plate |01. A curved card guide (see Fig. 2) is provided around the transfer cylinder and the advancing card is carried around by the forward rotation of the transfer cylinder and by the rotation of rolls 96 to traverse the main card sensingbrushes generally designated |09 in Fig. 2. Also in cooperation with the card is a pivoted card lever adapted to operate the usual card lever contacts H2.

After the card'shas been sensed by the main sensing brushes |09, it is advanced between guid` ing members ||4 and ||5 by the cooperation-of feed rolls 95 with cylinder 81. While between these members it is advanced by drag rolls 85, which extend downwardly into recesses of the lower members H4, as shown in Fig. 1. This arrangement provides for the feeding of the card and the advance of the card after it has been released by the rolls 95 so that the card may be delivered into a tray of another section of the machine, for example. a punching section. The drag rolls 85 deliver the card under the guiding member ||1'and after the card has been freed from the drag rolls the card is iiippeddown into .a tray of another or punching section of the machine. The location of this tray is gene; ally indicated at Rin Fig. 1. A card lever I 9 (Fig. 2) is also provided adjacent the tray for closing card lever contacts 20 when a card is lodged n the tray.

While there has been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental .-novel features-of the invention as applied to a single modification. it will be understoodthat various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention therefore to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is as follows:

l. In a record controlled accounting machine having record handling and record sensing mechanism, a card transfer and contact roll and a cooperating set of sensing brushes, means for feeding cards to said 'transfer and contact roll, and gearing for driving said contact and card transferroll, said gearing being so proportioned with respect to the. cooperating contact rollr to provide for a creep of the point of pickup of successive cards upon said roll to change the sensing spots upon said roll from card to card, said transfer roll having peripheral dimensions to maintain the peripheral speed of the roll constant and the same as the card speed.

2. In a cyclically operated record controlled accounting machine havingrecord handling and record sensing mechanism, a card transfer and contact roll and a cooperating set of sensing brushes, 4means for causing successive record cards to be advanced to said roll one for each cycle of operation, said roll' being proportioned toadvance the cards to and past said brushes at a. uniform rate and means including compound gearing to cause said roll to" turn through slightly more than a complete revolution for each card advanced. l

3. In a cyclically operated record controlled accounting machine having record handling and record sensing mechanism, a card 'transfer and contact roll and a cooperating set of sensing- .gie diierent than 360" for each card advanced.

GEORGE F. DALY. 

